Life Lessons:
Since Lori and I moved into the Ridgefield homestead house in the summer of 2006, I have been waging a war with the deadly blackberry invasion that has opened up on many fronts around the property. One of the most sorely contested spots is on the north end of the barn below the house. At this location, the vines have attained a height of about 14 feet and threaten to engulf the whole north end of the building. The photo below will give you some idea of the seriousness of the problem.
Now this is a war that can never be won. As soon as the obnoxious vines have been eradicated in one place, they will spring up in another place and establish a new base of operations for the conflict. Any place where the birds like to land and lighten their load, the blackberry seeds in their droppings will happily start a new infestation. Thus, the conflict is eternal. I can hope to win an occasional battle in one place, but I have no hope of ever winning the war outright.
After fighting this war for so many years, I have gained a great deal of admiration for the committee that was assigned the task of making good on the promise to create the “thistles and thorns and noxious weeds to afflict and torment man.” These folks must be real over-achievers and the blackberry plant must have been their crowning achievement.
However, upon reflection, I have reconciled myself to the importance of the lessons learned as a consequence of this war. Lesson number one: Take care of a problem early instead of waiting until it has grown into a 14-foot-high mountain of terrifying thorns. The effort to fix it is many times greater if you put off dealing with it when it is still small. Lesson number 2: This mortal experience was not meant to be a Garden of Eden. How could I possibly appreciate the beauty of a magnificently manicured garden without experiencing the opposite condition. In fact, the level of appreciation is directly proportional to the severity of the opposition. Sometime in the future, when I have a chance to meet the members of the “thorn” committee, I will personally give each one of them a big hug for giving me my impressive capacity to appreciate the opposite condition. Lesson number 3: We should not be afraid of adversity. In fact, every time it raises its ugly head, we should be ecstatic. Blessings that can be obtained in no other way are just around the corner. I can’t count all the blessings that my war with the blackberries has brought me. I am stronger and wiser because of it.
In fact, I wish you all the same good fortune. May your lives all be infested with lots of lovely thorns and thistles. You’ll all thank me some day, I promise.